Getting from point A to Point B - your abode to the next photo shoot - has never been easier. Some of you, I know, insist on using your old faded and torn state maps to plan your trip but did you ever try to refold one of those doing 65 down the highway? Can't be done. Others still swear by the big, bulky Atlas having all the states, most of which you'll never visit anyway, as their main means of staying on track. But isn't that so, well…antiquated? I mean, this is the age of technology right? Folks, we got desk computers, lap tops, map makers, route planners, cell phones, and most amazing of all, that wondrous array of satellites in space called the Global Positioning System. And yet, somehow, I still get lost.

One software program that's been around for several years now is Microsoft's Streets & Trips. Mr. Gates updates this program for us every year so we'll know of new roads, new attractions, and new casinos (always a lot of those) that may not have existed in the previous version. I've noticed that my home state of Oklahoma doesn't need much updating as we do not build new roads; only repair the ones we have with huge truckloads of asphalt and crews of sweaty men. I won't mention our bridges. New casinos? Oh yeah!

With Streets & Trips, all you have to do is enter your present location, which it will confirm with a map drawing, add in the places you want to stop, and a destination. Hit the magic twanger and presto, you have a route! This can be printed out as a map with your roads highlighted and even turn by turn instructions. You can have it choose the quickest way or the shortest way. Tip: Do not choose shortest way unless you're broke and nearly out of gas. This option will take you down alleys to save a hundred yards. Another feature is the ability to print out a separate map and directions for each stop you plan to make-pretty cool.

Is there any possible way to get lost using such wonderful software as this? Yes, nothing to it really. All you have to do is try to read the finely detailed instructions for each turn as you drive down an 8 lane expressway in a strange city dodging kamikaze drivers with no insurance. Taking exit 65A in 100 yards followed by turning right onto SH 101 in 100 feet is of little help when you're surrounded by megatons of steel all of which are NOT wanting to take exit 65A and care nothing about SH101. When you miss that turn and find yourself in a neighborhood where all the men on the street corners have baggy pants and bulges in their waistbands, you'll wish you had Bill Gates personal number on your speed dial.

How bout those geeks at Google? Do they come up with some great products or what? By now, I'm sure you've seen or heard about Google Earth. Watch almost any evening newscast, local or national, and you'll see some of the Google Earth technology. Just download and install it to your computer and it's as if you have your own personal space craft that can zoom down and look at almost any point on the planet. Heck, I can even see my wife's cats scratching the furniture.

As with Streets & Trips, simply type in your address or location, click the magnifying glass icon, and ride your own little UFO for a remarkable bird's eye view of where you are. Now click the crosshairs on the image and you get a From Here/ To Here option. Next, go back to the left side of the screen, type in your destination and voila, there's your route. You can check out the terrain, the buildings, the roads, even find gas, food, and lodging. Wondering if your intended pathway is flat or mountainous? No problem, just use the tilt control to give a 3D effect. There are also a few neat options for printing the route as well. You may choose a traditional map appearance or you can opt for the 3D look. An overall map can be sized to your liking along with driving instructions which are not nearly as detailed as S&T (which can be a good thing). Small insert maps are positioned on the right side of the page with blowups of your starting point and destination. I am fascinated with the feature where, with just a drag of the mouse, sets the whole scene in motion, sending you flying above the treetops with a view much like a helicopter to check out the countryside and hunt for nude beaches.

Can you get lost with this? Sure. The program is not infallible. Some addresses do not come up where they should, perhaps sending you to Toledo instead of Tulsa. Also it's very easy to get motion sickness hunting for the beaches.

But the greatest travel aid since the compass has to be the GPS navigation system. It's now available as a hand held unit or as an option in several car and pickup models. My last car salesman must have sensed that I was directionally challenged and when he demonstrated this wonder of technology, I couldn't sign fast enough. I would never be lost again.

The unit is amazingly accurate. For instance, you can tell which side of a divided highway you're on or which stop light at an intersection. Cross a river and dry land appears on the map at almost exactly the same time you reach the end of the bridge. Additionally, you can store dozens of addresses. Simply touch one and away you go. Want to know your gas mileage? Push a button. How about converting miles to kilometers? Push a button. Calendar? Yep. Estimate your time of arrival? Yes Sir. It does it all!

Now this may be the best part; all this need-to-know information is delivered by a soft, friendly female voice. Okay, you can choose the male voice if you want to but who'd want to do that? Knowing this little gal and I would soon become good friends, I gave her the name of Carla. Car-la, get it? So, as you approach your turnoff, Carla automatically mutes the sound on the radio and says, "In a half mile, make a left turn." Next command is "In a quarter mile, make a left turn." And so on. Sometimes she'll be even more specific, "At the next intersection, make a slight right." I love that.

What if you've been driving around and Carla has been turned off, maybe taking a nap or something, and you realize you're in unfamiliar territory and slightly confused as to exactly where you are? All you got do is say "Home". Carla alertly arouses from her sleep and replies, "Would you like to plan a route home?" "Why yes mam', I would. Thank you very much." And it's done. To choose a route other than the one Carla recommends is done so at your own risk. She does not take kindly to this. In fact, upon ignoring her command, she will say, in rather stern tones, "When it's safe to do so, take the next U-turn." I keep going. "Take the next U-turn."( A bit more attitude here). At this point she gets sullen, pouts, and refuses to speak. Then you have no choice but to apologize or she will not tell you the way to go home.

Unfortunately, I regret to report, there have been times when a new and ominous message will appear on the screen - "You are entering unmapped territory." Carla becomes eerily quiet. I have come to learn what this really means. The unimaginable has happened. Carla is lost. And so am I.

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